Resource Center: family

The Center for Substance Abuse Treatment (CSAT) promotes the quality and availability of community-based substance abuse treatment services for individuals and families who need them. CSAT works with States and community-based groups to improve and expand existing substance abuse treatment services under the Substance Abuse Prevention and Treatment Block Grant Program. CSAT also supports SAMHSA’s free treatment referral service to link people with the community-based substance abuse services they need (From their Website).

The Drug Abuse Screening Test (DAST) is a drug use questionnaire that assesses problems and consequences related to drug (including prescription) misuse. Scoring and Interpretation information is provided at the end of this questionnaire.

This program, from the US Surgeon General's Family History Initiative, enables people to answer a series of questions about the number, relationship, and medical histories of their family members. This information is then used to generate a pedigree that the patient can bring to his or her physician for review. The program is relatively simplistic (does not distinguish half siblings from full siblings, includes a limited number of relatives, no risk assessment, etc.), but the Surgeon General's office plans to continue developing the tool. It is simple for the patient to complete, requires only about 10 to 15 minutes (if all of the health information is readily available), and the information is kept on one's own computer, minimizing security concerns.

Definition, causes, and genetic counseling for Autism Spectrum Disorders.

General information from the March of Dimes about how patients can gather family medical information. It also includes a link to a family medical history form that focuses on a specific individual's medical history. They recommend asking each family member to complete a copy of the form and compiling the information.

From the National Society of Genetic Counselors, this Web page contains good general information for patients about what demographic and medical information to include in a medical family history, as well as basic instruction on how to assemble this information in pedigree form. The instructions are also available in a print-friendly PDF format that could be provided to patients.

Click on the pedigree image to review the family history on Maria's mother's side as it currently stands and to compare it to your own version before proceeding.

A pedigree image of for reviewing Maria's family history.

An article by Robin Bennett, MS, CGC debunking common myths of consanguinity.

Family members of patients who have been prescribed buprenorphine for treatment of addiction often have questions about this treatment. This handout will provide answers to their questions.